Thousands storm Madeira wedding thinking Cristiano Ronaldo was getting married

Cristiano Ronaldo’s wedding has been the subject of intense speculation in recent weeks, but the Portuguese superstar inadvertently caused a hilarious scene in Madeira after fans mistakenly believed he was getting married.

With rumours suggesting that Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez were set to tie the knot in Madeira on Saturday, thousands of fans gathered outside Funchal Cathedral, convinced that the football icon was about to marry his long-time partner.

Instead, the crowd had turned up for the wedding of Fabio Ramos and Fatima Nicole Cunha Teixeira, a couple who live in France but returned to their homeland to exchange vows.

The unexpected gathering left the bride, groom and their wedding party stunned.

One member of the wedding party said: “Fabio is not Cristiano Ronaldo. This is all crazy. We did not expect anything like this.

“I don’t think he is going to forget his wedding.”

Ronaldo’s older sister, Elma Aveiro, also reacted to footage of the huge crowd outside the cathedral, questioning why fans had believed the wedding rumours despite no official announcement from the family.

“But why do these people think Ronaldo would get married, when he himself never announced it, anyway? Don’t they realise that the media doesn’t know anything, they just want to know?! And then they invent things. Surreal,” she wrote on social media.

Ronaldo himself appeared to see the funny side of the confusion. After Jornal da Madeira posted footage of the crowds outside the cathedral, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner responded with several laughing-face emojis.

The confusion did not end at the cathedral. Large crowds also reportedly gathered outside the Savoy Palace, one of Funchal’s most luxurious five-star hotels, after reports claimed the property could host Ronaldo and Georgina’s wedding celebrations.

Despite the couple yet to publicly confirm details of their wedding, speculation surrounding their plans has continued to grow.

Reports in British and Portuguese media have claimed that Funchal Cathedral could be the ceremony venue, with the Savoy Palace, located around a kilometre away, potentially hosting the celebrations afterwards.

The luxury hotel has reportedly made preparations for a major private event, with guests allegedly informed that two entire floors and several bar areas would be off-limits on Friday and Saturday. Such restrictions are unusual for a hotel operating at full capacity.

Reports have also claimed that Ronaldo and members of his family have been spotted at the property ahead of the weekend.

While neither Ronaldo nor Georgina has officially confirmed the venue or date of their wedding, the developments in Funchal have only added fuel to the growing speculation.